


Twisted Past

by Burt_Macklin_FBI_49



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Father-Son Relationship, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Merc!Peter, Peter Parker Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-01-01 03:36:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12147783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burt_Macklin_FBI_49/pseuds/Burt_Macklin_FBI_49
Summary: Peter Parker's life gets flipped on its side when he's captured by Hydra, brainwashed, and experimented on.After 5 years being held captive, he manages to escape, but Peter is no longer the same person—or hero—that everyone knew and loved.Now living on his own, Peter uses his Hydra training to become a skilled mercenary, but how long will he stay hidden in the shadows before those from this past seek him out?(Or: After escaping from a Hydra facility Peter becomes a highly skilled mercenary that pops up on Tony Stark's radar.)





	1. Wide Awake

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading a lot of Fanfics recently and Merc Peter stories are by far my favorite, but there are only a few of them so I decided to change that. I really like dark Peter and I don't even know why. I suppose it's because I enjoy reading a darker take on the famous hero, but I'm addicted to it. Don't get me wrong, I can re-watch Spider-Man Homecoming a million times and I really enjoy reading Spider-Man comics because I adore Peter's cheesy humor, adorableness, and his personality. But no, in this Fanfic Peter isn't going to be an awkward, quippy, cheese ball. 
> 
> I'm going to try and update this story at least once a month since I have other fanfics to update as well as real work to do. 
> 
> This story was inspired by "it looks like you might be one of us" by scarlett_starlett. I didn't copy anything from her story, but the Hydra past may seem a little similar but other than that our stories won't be the same by any means. No smutty Deadpool/Spider-Man, sorry not sorry.

 

 

 

Peter Parker was once a hero.

He was New York's favorite web-slinger, Spider-Man.

He saved kittens from trees, helped the elderly cross the street, stopped muggings or bank robberies, and occasionally stopped a super-powered freak or two.

As Spider-Man he saved lives, swinging around, risking his life every day to ensure the safety of the citizens of New York City. He aided the NYPD even when they threatened to shoot, but he didn't care, he just wanted to defend those who couldn't defend themselves out in the dangerous streets of New York. He didn't even care about the recognition, he just cared about what was right.

With great power comes great responsibility, right?

But that all changed when he was 17...

 

* * *

 

 

_It was a hot July day and Peter spent it web-slinging in his new suit, a birthday gift from Tony Stark. During the school year Tony and Peter had worked on upgrading the materials, display, safety protocols, and web shooter combinations in his suit. Peter made sure to get rid of the instant kill mode.The new and improved suit's appearance was the same, it had the same bright red and black webbed design as the first suit Tony gave him, but he loved it all the same._ _Peter was happy, he managed to stop 2 robberies, 6 muggings, helped an elderly lady cross the street and even went to Dunkin to get a refreshing coolada to help fight off the summer heat._

_Once he finished his patrol, at 8:00 PM, Peter slipped back into his civilian clothes that were stored away in a backpack, webbed to the wall of an empty alley. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Peter made his way over to his apartment._

_Peter stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. The doors slowly slid shut and the elevator rose to the sixteenth floor without stopping.The lights flickered and the elevator creaked as it ascended, creating an eerie atmosphere in the elevator._

**_Ding_ **

_The doors opened in slow jerky movements and Peter exited wondering why he hadn't just taken the stairs._

_As Peter walked down the hall he couldn't help but feel anxious. There was a was dull tingle at the base of his skull alerting him of danger in a seemingly empty hallway. Peter looked around the hall cautiously, but it seemed as if everyone had left because there wasn't a soul in sight in the typically noisy hall._

_At his door, Peter reached into his pocket and extracted his keys, hastily opening the door and walking into his apartment._ _He dropped his keys and the world around him slowed down to a crawl-There were Hydra agents all around his apartment and his aunt was kneeling down on the ground with a gun pressed against her temple by an agent. His aunt was slightly shaking with fear but doing her best to stay composed for Peter. She shook her head softly, silently pleading for Peter not to do anything rash._ _Peter couldn't tear his eyes away from his aunt._

_He knew this was his fault, why else would Hydra agents be in his apartment?_

_Right as Peter was about to reach out to his aunt a tall muscular man walked into the living room with a folder in one hand and a gun in the other. He walked over to Peter and threw the gun down onto the table beside them._

_The man opened the folder, flipping through the documents within, then began to speak, "Hello Mr.Parker, we've been looking for you. You see, Hydra can't help but be intrigued by the powers you possess. Enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, healing, and a predicted sixth sense. You'd be a **very** valuable asset, but you'd be a danger out of our grasp. We can't allow you to become a threat, now can we."_

_Peter had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from blurting out a quip. The last thing he needed was a smart ass comment causing his aunt's death._

_The man looked over to his aunt then continued, "Today is the last day of your life as Peter Parker, or as that ridiculous hero, Spider-Man."_

_The man holding the gun against his aunt's temple lowered the gun to her neck pressed the trigger-_ _ **B**_ ** _ang!_** _The bullet punched its way through her neck, forming a hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood. The blood gushed out like a geyser and Peter couldn't help but jerk forward, towards her body._ _Aunt May fell to the ground gasping. Blood seeped into her clothes as she choked to death on it._ _The once bright pink sweater was stained dark red, drenched in her own blood._

_Her body laid lifelessly on the ground with a pool of blood forming around her head._ _Peter didn't even notice when his knees gave in, he collapsed onto the floor. The vivid imagery of his aunt, no his mother, laying on the ground of their small Queens apartment in a puddle of blood was too much for Peter to handle._

_He couldn't speak, couldn't move, he couldn't even think. It was as if his body shut down._ _As Peter stared at her body in shock, the agents restrained him and injected a needle into his neck. Half_ _of his senses shut down, and his arms and legs became limp like noodles. Peter's body slumped further down into the cheap tile floor and the agent's grip tightened around his arms._

_Everything got hazy. His vision slowly became darker until his body was enveloped by darkness._

 

**_Beeeeep_ **

 

Peter slamed his fist down on the alarm clock's snooze button and sat upright in his bed. His alarm clock was destroyed, but he doesn't give it a second thought, he was still thinking about the hyper-detailed dream. It was too vivid, too painful.

He doesn't remember most of his past but that moment is always fresh in mind, it's like a vivid picture painted with perfect clarity, which is unlike mostly all his memories. 

The dreams are always the same, his life before capture. They're bits, and pieces of his past. They're questionable at best, unreliable at worst. They're fragmented, short, and unwanted. Sometimes he’ll get flashes of his, supposed, Aunt May trying to cook a meal with a smiling gracing her face, or a man with a nicely groomed beard putting his arm around his shoulders. His memories only serve as a reminder of what he's lost, igniting forgotten emotions. He could tell they both meant a lot to him in the past, but Peter doesn't have enough memories to understand their significance in his life.

Hydra had kept him for five years, he escaped when he was 22, but at the facility they attempted to wipe his memory, and for the most part they succeeded. Peter just happened to be more stubborn than most subjects and managed to escape with some semblance of who he once was.

He looked around his room. It's messy, guns and ammunition everywhere, his suits laying on a chair in the corner of the room, and his secure laptop on a desk. It's just a safe house, he won't be staying here for any longer than a week, just long enough to finish his job. It's 7:00 AM and the hit will be at 8:00 PM, that gives him 13 hours to prepare for the mission. Peter doesn't leave anything to chance, he studies the workers, schedules, and layouts of the buildings he infiltrates. He was trained to be stealthy, come in and out undetected, and Hydra didn't allow mistakes.

Neither did he. 

He stood up and headed over to the bathroom, took a shower then brushed his teeth. Right as he was about to leave he began staring at himself in the mirror—dull hazel eyes that were once bright enough to light up a room stared back at him. As well as his high cheekbones and a sharp jawline, both very different from the chubby cheeks he once saw in his file. His chin and cheeks are covered in enough stubble to look like he's growing a beard. And there are hints of black under his eyes due to sleepless nights.

He should shave, but Peter decided its best not to. He doesn’t like how he looks cleanly shaven anymore, it makes him look young, Innocent even. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Innocence was before, back when Peter had a chubby hairless face, wide puppy-like eyes, and the most adorable smile imaginable. Now he's more he's more muscular, has a thinner face, and almost has a beard. His looks help him in his line of work. Depending on his clothing he can either look threatening or charming. Perfect for seduction and perfect for intimidation, both important aspects of his current line of work. His appearance is key to getting information when he's hired to do so, as well as his strength. He gets paid to assassinate, kidnap, con, hack, and interrogate.

He splashed water onto his face. All he saw was a ghost of who he once was. He's not the same Peter they once knew, Hydra changed him. Well, torture and experimentation will do that you. He's not sure if anyone is looking, but he's not sure they'd be proud of who he's become.


	2. Memory Lane

 

It's 4:00 AM and Tony Stark is sitting alone, drinking too much Scotch, looking over police reports. Yes, Tony Stark is doing detective work. Pepper had just left a few minutes prior, but Tony was left alone to do Fury's dirty work. This wasn't what Tony had in mind when he told Pepper he wanted to "stay up all night long".

Not at all.

No matter how much he begged or bribed director Fury, he made him look into it because apparently, it was very serious and not a joke. Fury ever used the words 'National Security'.

What has Tony stumped is why Fury thought he'd be the best person to track down the mystery hit-man. Even if he has billions of dollars and state of the art technology at his disposal Fury could have easily man-handled him into letting SHIELD use his tech. Putting those thoughts to the back of his mind, Tony continued to look over the information in the police reports while pulling up more information on a holographic display.

The unsub has been a mercenary for a few years, but lately, he has been assassinating more high profile people, which is causing panic in the crime world. The merc leaves no evidence for even the best of detectives or shield agents to find. His targets might all be rich socialites connected to the Kingpin of crime, but Fury says he's too unpredictable, that he's a threat, and has to be apprehended.

But to top it off, this guy is also a hacker. Apparently, he's hacked the shield databases for his employers multiple times for a generous chunk of cash. He's basically the worst type of criminal. He's a genius and highly skilled in combat, might even have powers.

But the worst part is there isn't any information on the unsub. He hasn't been seen, it's like the guy is a ghost. Not even his employers know who he is. All we know is his MO, he shoots them in the heart and brain, not allowing any chance of the target's survival. He never misses his shot, so the second bullet is always unnecessary.

He has to be trained, there's no way someone could get that good without training. The only question is, who trained him? In order know that, they need to watch him fight and it seems like the Hit-Man really tries his best to stay in the shadows.

_"Sir, I seem to have acquired a grainy video, from a drug store's surveillance camera, of a man who may be who we are looking for," a_ _lerted Jarvis._

"Strange, this guy usually doesn't leave behind any evidence," Tony pondered aloud. 

_"The mask man shot all of the cameras except for one. It seems this camera was in a darker location and he was in a hurry. It appears luck was in your favor tonight sir," explained Jarvis._

"You're now my favorite robot, sorry Dum-E. Roll it, Jay," Tony ordered as he sat down his drink and looked up at the screen.

In the grainy video, a man wearing a darkly colored skin tight spandex like suit crept against the wall in the shadows of the night. His suit had a symbol on the front but the video didn't provide enough detail to identify it. He pulled out two guns from the Hollister around his waist then ran into a building in an unnatural speed. The video cut off when he clung to a wall.

Tony stared at the screen with wide eyes. Those powers were too similar to Peter's and it made his heartache.

Peter, the bright-eyed boy-genius who he thought of as a son. The kid who would stop by just to talk after school, telling him all about his day or talking his ear off about totally unnecessary suit upgrades that Peter thought were cool. The kid who could brighten everyone's day in a 20-mile radius with his heart of gold and radiant smile. What he'd do to see him again. Suddenly, Tony found himself clutching his glass, gulping down the remainder of his drink.

Tony grabbed another bottle of Scotch and told Jarvis to pull up some videos of himself and Peter in the lab. He needed to hear his voice again, no matter how painful it is to watch.

_"Sir, I don't recommend that course of action. In prior incidents, you become very intoxicated and required Mrs. Potts to clean you up, which if you remember she did not appreciate," responded Jarvis with the slightest indication of worry evident in his robotic voice._

"Just play the damn videos Jarvis," ordered Tony clutching his glass tighter.

_Peter walked into the lab with a tiny black puppy in his arms and mumbled nervously, "Hey Mr.Stark."_

_"What's up kid?" Tony asked not looking up from his current project._

_"Well, you see what had happened was... I was patrolling the city, everything was going well, but I was tired and wanted food. I decided to change out of my suit cause it's really awkward when I eat food in restaurants, they always make fun of me saying I'm too short to be Spider-Man and I usually get mad and stick to the ceiling or something. Anyways, so I'm in the alleyway taking off my suit and I get it off and I'm just in my boxers when I hear a whimper so I walk over and I see a DOG trapped in a box! And it was so cute Mr.Stark I couldn't just leave it alone in a box. So long story short, I saw a dog and I brought it here cause I know Aunt May would kick me out if I ever brought a dog home," rambled Peter not even taking a break to breathe._

_"Let me get this straight. You rescued a dog and thought it was the best idea to bring it here?" questioned Tony with a raised eyebrow._

_"Look at her eyes Mr. Stark. She's so cute we can't leave her alone in the dangerous streets of New York," Pleaded Peter with his big brown adorable puppy dog eyes that rivaled the actual puppy's eyes._

_Tony looked back and forth from the dog and Peter, both giving puppy dog eyes._

_Tony sighed, "Okay fine you can keep her."_

_Peter's eyes widened comically," Oh my gosh, really?!? Thank you so much D- I mean Mr.Stark!"_

_Peter ran over to Tony and gave him a hug, the puppy still in his arms made a happy sounding bark._

_Tony sighed again," You better take care of her."_

_Peter laughed when the puppy started eating his shirt then looked up at Tony with a big smile and said," I promise I will Mr.Stark."_

_Tony laughed, "Actually you can keep her if you stop calling me Mr. Stark. You know it makes me feel old."_

The video ended and Tony found himself wiping tears from his eyes. Peter had almost called him dad and he never had the chance to tell him how much he cared. Tony rested his head against the cool surface of the marble countertop.

Pepper walked into the room and frowned when she saw Peter's image on the holographic screen. It had been years since Peter went missing and Tony was still devastated by it as if it was yesterday. She knew their relationship, she could tell he thought of him as a son and Peter thought of Tony as a father. Pepper wasn't as close to Peter as Tony, but she still adored the kid. He was a mini version of Tony, but he was polite and had a childlike innocence that made her enjoy spending the time she spent with him.

Pepper walked over to Tony and gently shook his shoulder. Tony groaned then looked up at Pepper with teary-eyes.

Pepper eyed the empty bottle of Scotch, "What happened Tony?"

"Well I was doing Fury's detective work about that crazily skilled merc when Jarvis found a video," Tony responded as he pulled up the video.

Pepper watched the short clip with a gasp. It seemed like the man had Peter's powers.

"As you can see, the video brought me down memory lane," Tony commented numbly. 

"That's not Peter, but we will find him," replied Pepper as she put her arms around Tony.

Tony smiled the embrace but couldn't help but wonder about the merc.

_Is this why Fury assigned me to locate the mercenary?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments keep me going. Let me know what you liked or would like to see!


	3. Cats and Spiders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LadyDuragon helped me alot this chapter! Thank you!

 

Peter was laying down silently, resting his stomach against the cold concrete, looking down the hole of his scope. He was positioned on the edge of a tall building near Kingsley Ltd, the building he was hired to infiltrate. It was going to be a tough job, but he wouldn't have it any other way. It was times like these that Peter felt the most at ease.

He had an objective.

A Purpose.

During his time at the Hydra facility Peter had been given orders by his superiors every day, but now without a superior, Peter feels empty, like he has no purpose. He gains some sort of satisfaction in these jobs, they substitute an objective, they help him not stray completely over the edge.

Peter was paid a substantial amount extra for this job. He's been hired to retrieve information from Roderick Kingsley, Fashion designer and CEO of Kingsley Ltd, which is located in his highly secured office. Kingsley has been involved with Oscorp recently and Peter's been hired to find out why.

He had been posted on the roof silently since 6 PM watching Kingsley's every move inside the building for three hours. He needed to ensure everything ran smoothly. There couldn't be any mistakes, that would mean failure. Hydra trained him to be above that, there wasn't any room for failure.

They needed a replacement for the winter soldier, Peter was the perfect candidate. Young, intelligent, had super strength, enhanced reflexes, and a sixth sense. They didn't need to spend money on replicating the serum, all they needed to do was brainwash him. Without his memories getting in the way, they were able to develop him into the perfect soldier. Day after day of constant training, no breaks were given. The only time they stopped was when he passed out from exhaustion. He was taught elements from Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Judo, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, and Jiujitsu. Every day he would fight until his knuckles bled, his hands were broken, or he couldn't stand and then he would be strapped onto an operating table in the Hydra lab and experimented on. They wanted to try and improve his healing factor and wouldn't stop experimenting until his body could repair broken bones in minutes. It worked and now his healing factor is _almost_ as enhanced as Deadpool's.

Hydra lost an extremely valuable asset when Peter managed to escape. After all, he is a highly trained superhuman with an excellent healing factor.

To Peter, the five years in captivity weren’t a waste. Alongside combat, Peter had been trained for stealth, infiltration, and assassination, as part of his super soldier regimen. The training has been crucial in his current occupation, he's basically a spy. Once he had adequate training and his conditioning had been deemed successful, he was promoted up in the program, Peter was allowed to be outside his cell and helped train new recruits. That was their most fatal mistake, he was able to escape after a few months once he memorized the building's layout.

Peter had been a great fighter before the program, but he’s even better now, Hydra had ensured it. They trained him until he was nothing but efficiency and calculation, though it had come at the cost of his sanity.

Scouting the area once again Peter began putting all his necessary items for the job in his utility belt. He needed flash drives, extra web cartridges, and a gun. Peter couldn't let this job go south, Kingsley is an important figure in New York, and if this gets out Hydra and SHIELD will be on his tail. He knows Hydra is still looking, they lost one of their greatest (living) assets when Peter escaped.

Caught up in his thoughts Peter wouldn't have noticed a figure climbing up the building had his spidey senses not alerted him. Peter narrowed his eyes at the figure scaling the side of the building with a grappling hook. It was a woman with white hair, in a seductive skin-tight black catsuit.

_Who is she?_

Doesn't matter. He couldn't afford wasting time on something as trivial as that, all he knew was the woman was a problem. Knowing his luck, she was most likely heading for Kingsley's office too. In a matter of seconds, Peter scraped his initial plan. He dropped his rifle and shot a web at the roof of Kingsley's building. He quickly made his way into the building, his suit making him blend into the shadows. He swiftly climbed the wall to enter the building through the closet window to the office.

Peter hid in a shadowy corner to avoid security guard with a gun. When the guard passed, Peter slipped into the office. Once inside, Peter swiftly jumped onto the ceiling in the dark office and webbed up the cameras in the room. He walked up to Kingsley's desk and reached into his utility belt to retrieve a flash drive. He had little time so he had to do it fast.

Right as he was about to log onto the computer he heard a click of doorknob from the other side of the room. In a matter of milliseconds, he was clinging upside down to the ceiling with the screen of the computer turned off. Hidden in darkness, he watched as the woman walks in and opens up a safe hidden in the wall.

_What to do now?_

If he only knocks her out somebody will find her and they will immediately know he was here if she tells them what she saw. It wasn't something he particularly desired. Jumping down from the ceiling, Peter stealthily made his way over to the woman without making any sound still trying to decide what to do. At first, he intended to bind her but it would be as unhelpful as knocking her out. In either case, he would have to get out of there without being noticed while dragging her with him. He hated every scenario.

Peter mentally sighed before bracing for everything that may happen and tapped her shoulder. His lips twitched upwards momentarily when she jumped away startled. Fortunately, she didn't squeak too loud.

The woman sized Peter with wary eyes and then she… smiled?

_What?_

"Well hello there Spidey, long time no see," she purred seductively showing off her body while somehow not making it too obnoxious.

How?

Peter raised an eyebrow under the mask, and without a single word he grabbed a gun from the holster on his waist and pointed to towards her head. It should be enough to make her obey.

“I have no idea why you are referring to me with that name, but I'm here to do my job and you are in the way. You're either going to do what I say until I leave, or I will have to get rid of you.”

She frowned for a brief moment before the smirk returned, "Don't be angsty about it. I didn't expect to find anyone else here either. I'm sorry for the mistake, you just reminded me of an old friend of mine. You both embrace the spider theme. Though I have to admit, you fill up the suit better than he did. You're easily about twice his size, yum."

This far, the woman seemed to be harmless. He only hoped she was obedient too.

“Don't do anything until I leave,” he repeated putting a lot emphasis on each word.

The woman huffed like a child, “Fine."

Peter stared at her for a second longer before walked over to the computer, turning it on, and continuing his job. He hacked into the laptop, bypassed the highly secure firewall and then inserted a virus that removed all video evidence of his presence and turned off the security on the floor and outside the building. Once he finished deleting the videos, Peter plugged in an untraceable flash drive, downloading all the important files. When the download was complete, he hastily placed the flash drive in a pocket in his utility belt. When he turned around he was greeted with a sight of the open safe and Cat finishing loading her pouch.

“What did I tell you,” he growled at her.

“I was bored,” she whined.

“Whatever. You didn't trip of the alarm, so I'll be kind and let you live. Don't make me have second thoughts,” he said and then walked up to a window. He opened it and was already going to jump when she spoke again.

"Hey, you know, it's not safe for a woman to be alone at night. Mind giving me a ride?" She asked in a flirty voice.

He was going to regret this.

"Wrap your arms around my neck and don't fall off," Peter responded angrily.

The woman happily obeyed and Peter swiftly shot a web to a nearby building. He made his way over to an empty roof and dropped Cat down there.

"Who are you?" Peter asked with a voice void of any emotion. He stepped towards her in a threatening manner and webbed her hands to a ventilation outlet on the roof.

"Kinky. Well, people know me as Black Cat but you can call me Cat if you want," she responded with a wink, then began struggling to get out of the webbing's hold.

Peter looked her up and down, "Why were you there?"

“A girls gotta make some cash. I just take a little here, a little there. Nothing too big, just a few items worth a few thousand each. Don't worry, I haven't stolen anything over a hundred thousand, yet."

Peter stared into her eyes determining how to phrase his next statement. She was a liability, an unprecedented variable, and he couldn't afford her slipping up.

“Just to make it clear, you never saw me. You didn't see anybody in the office and you made your way outside on your own. Also, if you ever tell anyone about me I guarantee I will find out about it, and I will have no problems killing you. I'm dead serious about this,” Peter said and was about to walk away when she called out again.

“I will do it only if you tell me what were you looking for there,” she demanded looking into the unreadable eyes of his mask.

He could go for that deal, it seems reasonable enough.

"I was hired to retrieve information. Wasn't that obvious?" Peter answered uninterested ready to go back to his temporary apartment.

Black Cat looked down and mumbled, "Well, it seems you really aren't Spider-Man, he'd never steal."

That sparked his interest, "Why is he so important to you?"

Black Cat's expression fell momentarily before a smirk took its place, "We had history before he disappeared. I thought I loved him, but Peter said I only loved the mask not him. He was right at the time, not anymore."

Peter almost backed away from her on that statement. He had no memory of ever meeting her before and yet she knew his name and was claiming to have had a relationship with him. He knew all about his alter ego and she's stating they were close, that she knew him both with and without the mask. 

Peter pushed away the thoughts. He could not afford to have any emotional connections anymore. He shook his head and turn away to leave.

“Wait Spider, let me repay you for your help," Cat stopped him again.

He turned away and suddenly she was a millimeters his him. His mask was moved up to his nose and her lips were pressed against his. She pulled him down closer to her, and the rest of his words were lost against her lips. At first, she kissed gently, carefully like she was afraid of scaring him away too soon she rested her hands on his utility belt, pulling him closer her. She moaned softly, low in her throat, and then his arms circled her and she wrapped her legs around his torso, sliding her tongue into his mouth.

“That's enough.” He pushed her away. “You sneaky little cat.”

“So it is you... Pete.”

“Not anymore. You know, I'm already having second thoughts about killing you.”

She frowned, “What happened to you?”

Peter grimaced, "Hydra,” he answered as he walked over to the edge of the building. Then he shot a web to a nearby building and disappeared into the shadows of the night leaving behind a distraught Black Cat.

By the time Peter made it back to his latest apartment it was already 10 PM. He took off his utility belt, plopped down on the couch and turned on his laptop. On a secure email, Peter sent the information to his employer. The money should be transferred soon.

Once all the work was done Peter couldn't stop thinking about the woman he encountered. Opening a search engine, Peter tried to look her up but was only able to find information that he gathered from his own observations. But he knew her once, but how close were they? Were they really lovers like she suggested?

Peter yelled, then slammed his laptop closed in frustration. Just being in New York is evoking memories and long forgotten feelings. Feelings are a sore spot for Peter, Hydra trained them out of him. Emotions meant weakness, therefore they didn't allow him to feel anything but anger.

In the past two years since his escape from Hydra, Peter has slowly began experiencing emotions, but they are rare.

But Peter still received dreams. His memories mostly come in the form of dreams and most dreams are out of order, mixed up dialogue, scenes all wrong. He can’t figure out which ones are real and which ones his fucked up mind made up. They were easier to remember in the beginning of his captivity, but now he just gets warped snapshots.

The majority of the memories he does remember are the most painful ones. Peter's most common dreams are his aunt's death, an old man named Ben's death, a blond young woman's neck snapping and other tragedies in his life (his life is filled with them). His dreams are only painful reminders of his past, and when he does get a good memory it hurts just as much. They're too happy, too pure and Peter feels like he's watching someone else's memories. What really angers him about them is he knows he'll never get to be that happy again, Hydra ensured that.

Peter just laid on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. This city is poison, too much history.

He needs to get out before more of his past catches up with him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more you comment, the more I write! Comment below and tell me what you think about my story, or what you'd like to see happen in future chapters.


	4. Revelations

 

Tony was extremely close to quitting the Avengers and becoming a solo act, well maybe he'd have Rhodey be his sidekick, but that's it. Fury woke him up at an ungodly hour of the morning just to inform him that he needed to be present at a meeting later, he could have just informed Jarvis. It's like eyepatch doesn't trust him, wonder why.

Knowing there wasn't a point in trying to fall asleep again Tony groggily got out of bed and hobbled over to his bathroom to freshen up. With just one glance at the mirror, Tony concluded that he looked like shit. Dark bags where prominent under his eyes, his beard wasn't trimmed to perfection and his hair was an absolute mess, brown locks flowing in every which direction.

Tony climbed into the shower, turned the water on, and rested his head against the cool tiles of the shower wall. Showers are supposed to be relaxing, however, Tony couldn't help but think about how similar the new mercenary's powers were to Peter's. He knew it wasn't logical to get his hopes up but deep down he couldn't help but hope it really was Peter. He knew the team didn't understand, although they all cared for Peter none of them knew him like he did, they never even knew his name. Even before the fiasco, Peter had been his unofficial son, but when he went missing Fury pulled a few strings and made him Peter's legal guardian in case he returned.

These thoughts were dangerous, he'd spiral again if he continued down this path. When Peter was taken scotch has become Tony's best friend, you wouldn't ever see them apart for long. Tony knew he had to suppress those thoughts and feelings, after all, he did have a meeting with the Avengers and has to look his usual self, wouldn't want them thinking Tony Stark had off days.

Tony turned off the shower, got dressed, then made his way to the kitchen to get some coffee. Right as he was about to grab the pot Peter's Blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier happily jumped onto his legs then started to lick his hand. A small smile appeared on his face, she was so big now compared to that scraggly little puppy Peter brought home.

"May, stop. You're getting slobber all over my expensive watch and fur on my suit," Tony scolded with a playful expression on his face.

Despite what the team thinks, Tony actually does love the dog. She grew on him after taking care of her for a few weeks, he even named her May in remembrance of Peter's hot spitfire aunt from Queens.

 

* * *

 

 

When the time came Tony found himself patiently sitting in a conference room aboard the SHIELD helicarrier, pondering important life questions like why does he ever listen to Fury? After waiting by himself for 10 minutes the rest of the Avengers made their way into the room. None of them knew the purpose for the meeting but Tony had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with the dangerous Mercenary he had been assigned to locate.

Fury entered the room late and dramatically like usual. The lights were dimmed, doors slammed open, Fury walked over, sat down in his chair and spun around to face the team with a scowl on his face.

"What's up sugar cup?" Tony asked as he sent a playful wink Fury's way. Some of the Avengers chuckled but Fury looked less than impressed.

Fury scowled, "What's up is a dangerous mercenary hasn't been apprehended and put into SHIELD custody yet. A few days ago he retrieved files from Roderick Kingsley which caused a pretty big impact in the criminal world. There are some rumors on the street saying the Kingpin of crime is going to make sure all his assets are protected by hiring some help. Help is usually in the form of the Hand or assassins like Bull's Eye, we can't let that happen."

Clint raised an eyebrow at that statement and couldn't help but ask, "What's so wrong with that, wouldn't they just be doing our job for us?"

Fury rolled his eye," Yes, he would kill the Spider but he'd also risk the lives of many civilians. Barton the Hand doesn't care about the lives they might risk they just care about getting the job done. Also, I'm thinking about recruiting him."

"What!" Shouted all the Avengers simultaneously.

"You can't recruit him he's a mix between the Punisher and the old Deadpool," stated Captain America with a stern gaze on Fury.

"If we were able to make Deadpool, an insane mercenary, behave enough to be a reserved Avenger and a full-time SHIELD sanctioned Hit-Man I think we could get through to the Spider. He could be a valuable asset. He has superior strength, speed, reflexes, and intellect. Just imagine if SHIELD controlled him instead of having him out on the street killing for money," reasoned Fury.

Natasha shook her head in agreement, "Fury's right. As of right now, it seems that he hasn't killed anyone innocent, he's only killed gang members, rapists, or mob bosses. In all honesty, I believe it would be easier to convince this man to join SHIELD than it was to convince Wilson."

"That's not necessarily correct Natasha. We knew everything about Deadpool, his name, his family, his favorite color, his favorite gun and we even knew about the voices in his head. We don't know anything about the so-called 'Spider', he could be even more insane than Wilson for all we know," reasoned Captain America with his arms crossed.

"I gotta say Patchy I agree with spangles, we are completely in the dark when it comes to this guy," Tony agreed to his nails, feigning disinterest.

"Are we though Stark, I know you found that video," responded Fury with a challenging tone.

"What is he talking about Tony?" Asked Cap with a frown plastered on his face.

"I saw a video of this guy running into a building the other day. It was only a few seconds long and was low rez so I wasn't really sure what was going on, you couldn't see any details. Why is this such a big deal?" Tony questioned doing his best not to display emotion.

"Fine Stark, I guess you really didn't find anything out but I did. I managed to retrieve a video from one of his previous jobs," alerted Fury.

In the video Spider webbed up a few guards and jumped onto the ceiling, hiding in the shadows as he waited for a man to pass. With one swift kick, he hit the man in the jaw and sent him flying, collapsing into a heap on the floor. He walked over webbed his mouth shut, took a ring from his hand and something from his pocket, and then placed them into his utility belt. After taking out a gun he looked around the hall then shot the man in the head then the heart. Leaving the man to die he ran away and disappeared into the shadows.

"This guy seems highly trained," commented Clint.

Natasha shook her head, "I think it's fair to say this man wouldn't think twice to shoot you, only those with a healing factor should trail him."

"I was thinking we should have Wilson handle this one," informed Fury.

Tony's frown deepens, he hates Wilson. The Merc with a mouth is just that, a non-stop chatter machine. He would rather get shot than work with him again.

"Ya no, this is when I leave. Bye guys, see you next time the world's ending," Tony said as he got up from his seat and left.

Once he out of the conference room Tony summoned his armor and flew over to his penthouse to meet up with his beautiful wife, Pepper.

The apartment was quiet. Pepper was silently drinking coffee at the island as she read something on a Stark tablet and May was sound asleep on one of her many dog beds.

"Hey Pep, what are doing?" Tony asked as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Running your company," Pepper answered with a smirk and Tony couldn't help but chuckle.

"Pep... It is Peter," Tony said as he looked at the wall.

Pepper's face scrunched up in confusion, "What do you mean it is Peter?"

Tony sighed, "We watched another video today and his powers are the exact same as Peter's. I think Hydra brainwashed and trained Peter like they did to Bucky."

"Then we're going to find him," responded Peper with determination in her voice.

Tony smiled, he hit the jackpot when it came to Pepper. He'd been dead ten times over if it wasn't for her.

"You always know what to say," Tony joked but honestly meant every word.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to publish I was busy with work. I'll publish the next chapter as soon as possible (just started writing it).
> 
> The more you comment the more I write, so feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading!


	5. All around me are familiar faces

_"Uncle Ben!" Peter yelled out frantically when he saw it was his dear uncle lying on the pavement of the street surrounded by people._

_Peter looked around and yelled desperately at the pedestrians,"Somebody call an ambulance!"_

_No one answered._

_Choking on his sobs, Peter whispered, "Uncle Ben."_

_There was so much blood on the pavement. It was warm on his hands. It seeped through his fingers. It flowed out of the small hole in his uncle's chest. The pressure he was putting on the wound seemed to be doing nothing. Peter’s mind was filled with fear. Panic was slowly creeping on him and he had no idea how it hadn't taken over him yet. His heart was racing and he thought it might just suddenly stop out of exhaustion. Unable to focus on anything except the ever so slow and weak breaths escaping his uncle's chest and the paleness of his cheeks. He saw his own tears fall onto his Uncle's coat. He couldn’t understand this. And then, he saw it, life dimming in his uncle’s eyes._

_"No. No, no, no! Don’t, please, you can't die!"_

_He knew that his words didn't have any power over the way his uncle's eyes stared emptily into the stars, but he couldn't help but plead. He couldn't understand it, why did this happen? His uncle has never done anything wrongbusinessman didn't deserve to die._

_Everything became distant, the sirens in the background, the cop touching his shoulder, the honking of nearby cars. All he could focus on was his uncle lying lifelessly on the concrete sidewalk. Soon the paramedics pried his uncle's lifeless body from his fingers while Peter was choking out unrecognizable words of protest. The cop put a blanket around his shoulders and gently navigated him into the front a cop car._

_Sometime later at home, another cop showed him a record of his uncle's murder caught on a nearby shop security camera. He felt his blood run cold. He knew the man on the record, it was the man he let go and his uncle's death was his fault. That moment, he promised himself that he would stop the man, his uncle's murderer, even if it was the last thing he ever did._

Peter's head shot straight up as he slammed his fist down on the new alarm clock's snooze button. Surprisingly, it didn't break. Today he would be leaving the city and flying to Brazil for his current jobs. He had enough of New York, too many memories and resurfacing emotions. He couldn't let that happen, emotions were a weakness he didn't have the luxury to afford.

He looked around the room and sighed. Personal belongings were littered across the floor, guns and ammunition were scattered on the desk, and pieces of the old alarm clock were laying on the floor beside the bedside table. Tidying up the room, conserving and packing his weapons, finding a place to store them and sending them in a sealed bag there took him almost two hours. He had to do that because he could neither leave the weapons without any care nor take them with him as he wouldn't be able to take such package on a plane.

After that, Peter took a quick shower and put on his clothes for travel. Before leaving the bathroom, he briefly stopped in front of a mirror hanging on the wall over the sink. When looking at himself he wished he had some shapeshifting powers, the ability to mimic the appearance and voice of any person would definitely be convenient. He would have so much less trouble with traveling if he could alter his look even just a bit. The security at airports are always very extensive and he couldn't exactly go on board in a mask. Concealing his appearance was hard and couldn't simply let it be as he still looked so much like his old self. If somebody from his old life was still looking for him, they would have no problem with recognizing him wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and there was Hydra which most definitely is still looking for him.

He kept his stubble, put on sunglasses, and changed into an expensive grey suit that fit slightly snug against his muscles. Looking a little too similar to Tony Stark but still pleased with his appearance Peter cleared all the evidence of his residence and then put his belongings in the taxi he called earlier.

 

 

 

* * *

 

Upon arriving at the airport, Peter gave the driver a generous tip, took his luggage, and then entered the airport.

It was the busiest hour of the day. A crowd of people were either heading to their platforms or leaving the airport, sharing their goodbyes or greeting with loved ones. This gave Peter the perfect conditions for camouflage, he could easily blend In amongst the people. With his luggage trailing a step behind him, Peter advanced to the counter to purchase a ticket. He pulled out his fake passport and handed it to the woman. Few seconds and one polite word exchange with the cashier later, Ben Stacy received his ticket and headed for his terminal. Ben Stacy was the name he typically went by in the United States, a tribute to the two people who plagued his dreams.

Peter looked down at his phone and scrolled through available jobs in Brazil, all of them were gang/cartel related. Those types of jobs were always the least organized. Not paying attention to his surroundings Peter bumped into someone knocking them over and his sunglasses straight off his face. He tried to offer a hand to the young woman on the floor but it was immediately swatted away. Once she managed to get up by herself Peter felt a vibe of deja vu from the whole situation, she seemed very familiar. In her high heels, she was a few inches taller than him, had beautiful curly hair, caramel skin, skillfully applied tender and natural makeup, and wore a navy blue suit which matched her stylish heels. She held her head up and stood straight with an air of confidence and stared Peter down in a surprisingly intimidating manner, had he been his younger self he's sure he'd be cowering.

"Why is it that men always assume woman need help? I am a strong independent woman, I can do just fine on my own," Spoke the woman, irritation evident in her voice.

Peter raised an eyebrow at her comment. "I don't know. I personally think it's polite to help up the person you knock down," Peter responded looking her directly in the eyes.

The woman rolled her eyes, "Well next time ask before you put your hands on someone.” She looked at her phone and sighed, “Great, I'm going to be late because of you."

"Well ma'am that's not my problem," Peter remarked flippantly as he leaned over to finally pick up his sunglasses from the floor. He then grabbed his luggage and began walking away.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Peter sighed, "What do you want?"

"What's your name? Judging by your attire I'm guessing you're a businessman and if the price of your suit is anything to go by, I'm assuming a wealthy one at that," the woman informed.

"And you are saying that because?" Peter asked with an irritated tone, growing annoyed with the lady.

"I'm a respected and well-known reporter who could uncover any dirt you have, no matter how small, and ruin your career if I wanted to," she answered while staring him down with a hand resting on her hip.

“Then why would I share my name with you?” Peter asked in a clipped tone, his eyes shifting to his watch.

“I'm guessing you are in hurry just like me, and I know I would find out who you are anyway but I'm wondering, what would happen if you were stopped by airport security?” She questioned smugly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Just great, he always had to land himself in such situations, didn't he?

Parker Luck.

Peter flashed a fake smile before extending his hand and saying, "I can't say I like people as nosy as you, but if you have to know, my name is Ben Stacy."

The woman returned the handshake before introducing herself. "Michelle Jones, and being nosy is my job, Mr. Stacy."

"Better not be too nosy," Peter warned with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"And truly hope we don't see each other ever again, Ms. Jones," Peter added before leaving as quickly as possible not wanting to miss his flight.

 

 

 

* * *

 

Michelle stood there watching the man walk away. He seemed to be very familiar, it was as if she had met him somewhere before, but she couldn't pinpoint where or when. There was also something very offputting about Ben. His expressions lacked sincerity, to anyone one else they would seem normal, but to her trained eye, she could tell something was off. It was those hazel eyes and the smile which lacked emotion that irked her. His disguise was very charming, but to her, it looked rehearsed and completely fake. After interviewing and reporting news on a daily basis, Michelle has become a pro at reading people, but Ben wasn't like others. What would cause someone to be so insincere? He surely was rich, but how has he been earning his money? She swiftly typed Ben Stacy into the notes on her phone. Once she reached her hotel room in Florida that would be the first thing she researched. After all, Michelle hates unsolved mysteries.

 

 

 

* * *

 

When Peter arrived at his hotel, it was already night. The room he reserved was perfect for him, large and luxurious, and most importantly it had a window directly facing the mansion of the drug cartel's leader whose assassination he had taken as his latest job.

Before doing anything Peter had to purchase new arsenal and for that, he needed some other disguise. He changed into cheaper and a bit worn clothes, cheap black sunglasses and a red bandana with a complicated pattern on it. Now looking like another shady guy who's itching for trouble, he jumped out the window and made his way over to the closest gun shop with military grade weaponry. Once he purchased what he needed he returned to his room and changed into his spider suit. Then he strapped on himself guns and grenades to his belt and got ready for the mission.

 

 

 

* * *

 

The mission was quick. Peter was in and out in minutes. Once the guards were all knocked out, he was able to easily assassinate the leader and make it out in time before anyone noticed him.

Back at the hotel room, Peter opened up his laptop and sent the pictures of his target's body to his employer and waited for his payment.

Five hundred thousand dollars were deposited into one of his many bank accounts. Peter stared at the screen, face void of emotion. The money meant nothing to him, it was just piling up after every job. Expensive cars are too flashy, homes are too permanent, and jewelry is pointless. Instead, Peter spends his money on weapons, armored suits, clothing, webbing, hotel rooms, weapon storages and hideouts wherever he visited a lot. Something deep inside him felt guilty. As far as he remembered his family wasn't exactly financially secure, so he knew how much his money could have benefited his life in the past. Peter ignored the thought, what use would it to be to think about them, they're dead.

Right as Peter was about to close his laptop, he remembered the encounter at the airport. His curiosity got the better of him and he found himself typing 'Michelle Jones' into the google search engine.

So far, everything she said was true. Jones was a journalist for the Daily Bugle then became a reporter due to the diminishing power of the newspaper industry. As a reporter, she spent her days targeting corrupt politicians, reporting government scandals, and uncovering dirty celebrity secrets. Although, based on her Twitter it seemed she enjoyed participating in political protests, advocating women's rights, and addressing the problems with modern society. She seemed like a ray of sunshine.

Peter scanned her page on Wikipedia but didn't find any other information, but right as he was about to exit the site something caught his eye. A photo of her year from Midtown School of Science and Technology she attended to, the same one high school he went to, a photo of which he could recognize himself too.

  
Deciding to dig a little deeper Peter pulled up her Instagram and took his time to scroll all the way to the bottom and just like he expected she still had pictures from her high school left on her account. It was one of the last pictures on the account which left him stunned. It was a selfie of Peter and Michelle together, her arm over his shoulder and they both smiling. It was captioned: 'hanging out with my favorite nerd'.

 

* * *

 

  
Michelle stumbled into her hotel room at an ungodly hour of 1 am in the middle of the night and plopped onto the bed immediately. She wanted to sleep but she couldn't, the unanswered question has kept her irritated and sleepless whole flight. Who was Ben Stacey? Grabbing her Mac Book from her suitcase, Michelle began her search, but Ben Stacey had no information other than a driver's license and passport. Michelle knew something was up if a businessman did not have any business connections to his name. It was too late to continue the investigation, she had to get some sleep but she was going to find out the secrets behind the name of Ben Stacey.

 

 


	6. Merc With a Mouth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. Lately, I've been drowning in work and haven't been able to write. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Happy holidays!

You wouldn't normally find Wade playing detective, but this job seemed intriguing. There have been whispers among the Avengers about a mercenary that covers his tracks so well that even SHIELD, super spy central, has been having a hard time locating him, but once they mentioned that said mercenary allegedly had spider powers Deadpool was more than intrigued. Call it a hunch, but he felt like there was more to the case then SHIELD was letting on.

After spending a few months looking for 'The Spider' he realized why SHIELD was having so much trouble locating him, the man was basically a ghost. Inbetween jobs Deadpool spent most of his free time finding and pulling small tracks and clues from different people and piecing them together to find anything that would lead him in the right direction. All his efforts paid off once he discovered the identity of the man administrating the website where the merc gets his jobs. Actually, it was Weasel who had actually dealt with the technology responsible for finding the people and telling Deadpool what questions he should ask, but Fury didn't need to know that. The point was, now, Deadpool had a way of tracking the Spider, and it was a damn good one. All he needed to do now is find that man and "negotiate". But first, he needed funding, the chimichangas aren't going to pay for themselves.

 

* * *

 

 

Deadpool barged into Nick Fury's office swinging around two katanas and singing an off-key tune. Fury looked less than pleased, an angry scowl plastered on his face.

"Captain Hook, I got a major business proposition for you. How about' you hire me to find that itsy bitsy Spider, for a small fee of 10 million buckeroos!" Deadpool shouted out in a singsong voice as he sheathed his katanas skillfully.

**Like Fury would hire us.**

_**But** _ **_Fury needs us if he wants to find The Spider, better let him know our terms._ **

"That's a one and... 6 zeroes," informed Deadpool as he walked over and grabbed a paperweight off Fury's desk.

Fury sighed, "...7 zeros."

Deadpool rolled his eyes, "Whatever! It's a lot of zeros!"

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eye, "Why would I hire you, the merc with a mouth, for a highly classified stealth mission?"

"Because I have the only clue as to where he is, that's why patchy," Deadpool responded in a dangerously stony voice.

"Let's say I give you the job, how do I know you won't kill the merc or get bored and run off in the middle of the job?" Questioned Fury, face void of emotion.

_**See told you he doesn't trust us.** _

**Of course, he doesn't trust us, remember last month?**

**_So much blood..._ **

Deadpool placed his hands on his cheeks and began to talk in an overly cheery voice, "Oh Nicky, don't you worry bout' a thang, you can trust me a 100%. I'll be just like James Bond. I'll be stopping the bad guys and getting the girls, all for the great continent of Britain... oh wait I'm Canadian. Anyways, I'll follow in Daniel Craig's footsteps and be the charming spy that I know I can be."

Fury looked less than convinced, and Deadpool knew just the way to win him over.

"Please Nick, Please! I'll try my best, I'll only kill the baddies, and I'll bring dark Spidey home!" Deadpool cried out dramatically, with his hands placed on his cheeks for added effect.

"Stop, just stop. Willson, I'm giving you the job. And no, it isn't because of your theatrics. You have a month to bring me that Mercenary, or you can kiss the money goodbye. No causing a commotion in whatever country you're going to, no killing innocent civilians, and above all don't let this get on the Avenger's radar, this stays between you and me," ordered Fury.

_**I must be dreaming.** _

**Did the Patchy just give us a job?**

_**Pinch me**_.

Wade rolled his eyes, "Of course he did, who can resist my charming personality?"

**Everyone**.

"I want the money in a red pillowcase with a dollar sign ironed on. Make sure it's in stacks of hundreds. No wrinkled cash, I'm picky about my money," requested Wade as he made his way over to the door.

"This ain't my first rodeo, I know how you request your payment. No matter how absurd, I always do it," informed Fury with a judgemental look on his face.

 

* * *

 

 

As Wade left the office Fury couldn't help but wonder, did he make the right choice giving Deadpool the job?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and let me know what you thought about the chapter. Comments and Kudos are what motivate me to continue writing!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comment below and let me know what you thought about the chapter. 
> 
> LadyDuragon is my amzing Beta.


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